


These Moments, Again and Again

by arobynsung



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: F/M, POV Female Character, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-29
Updated: 2010-08-29
Packaged: 2017-10-11 08:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/110391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arobynsung/pseuds/arobynsung
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's Lancelot's devotion before her and Arthur's love at her back, and Gwen can hardly breathe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	These Moments, Again and Again

****Lancelot rides in, a brilliant smile on his face, ever graceful as he dismounts his horse and rushes to kneel at a waiting Arthur's feet. Arthur, for his part, matches his smile and pulls him up in a warm embrace.

In that moment they are brothers, full of the promise of Albion, its bright and shining champions. Gwen is sure that any poet or bard looking on is at the very moment struck with inspiration like never before. The moment is perfect.

Then Lancelot turns to her.

This time, his low words from before, "My lady," spoken in a warm breath right over her presented hand, are more than appropriate. She is Queen Guinevere of Camelot, wife to the noble King Arthur, joy of all the land and its people.

Gwen feels anything but.

Lancelot puts his lips to her outstretched hand and she's a blacksmith's daughter again, invisible to Arthur, arms around this new promise as she measures him for armour good enough to fool Uther's elitism.

His eyes meet hers as his lips part from her skin, and the world slows. There's Lancelot's devotion before her and Arthur's love at her back, and Gwen can hardly breathe. It takes nearly everything to remain standing (she feels what she's sure is Merlin's magic wrap around her, steadying, painfully understanding).

All her remaining strength goes into the small step she takes backwards and into Arthur's palm at her waist; Lancelot releases her hand and Gwen thinks she doesn't have the will to stop herself from rubbing the skin where his lips were last.


End file.
